The Stop Arming Terrorists Act (SATA) has been introduced today in the House of Representatives by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D – HI). The bill is a bipartisan effort, co-sponsored by Reps. Peter Welch (D – VT), Barbara Lee (D – CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R – CA), and Thomas Massie (R – KY) which would forbid the US government from using taxpayer dollars to arm, fund, or train terrorist organizations.
Rep. Gabbard noted that it has been against the law for years for individual Americans to fund terrorist organizations, but that the US has been routinely doing so for years in Syria, providing arms to many terrorist-linked groups within Syria’s rebellion.
The bill appears aimed primarily at ending the CIA program smuggling arms to Syrian rebels, something President-elect Donald Trump has also expressed support for. The bill singles out ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (the “rebranded” version of al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front) and forbids support to them, their allies, or foreign nations who are themselves providing support for the groups.
The part prohibiting funding of foreign nations involved in backing the groups could be hugely impactful, as it would include nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which have openly backed a number of the rebel groups targeted.
SATA would compel the Director of National Intelligence to provide a list of all the groups affiliated with or cooperating with those three organizations, as well as the countries providing assistance to them to several House committees. This could potentially be an obstacle as reports have suggested Trump does not intend to appoint a Director of National Intelligence.
Finally legislation out of Washington that dierectly targets the insanity of current U.S. war policy of arming al-Qaeda rebels in Syria.
There is no current war policy of arming anybody. It’s all “non-lethal” humanitarian assistance. Please refer me to any authorizations for arms.
At last a useful bill out of Congress.
Codswallop!
At last a little honesty in Congress. There are Americans doing hard time in federal prisons for giving money to Muslim charities that have some indirect links with terrorist organizations, while our Government is directly supporting Al Qaeda terrorists with arms, equipment and training. Good for these members of Congress, of both parties, for standing up and trying to put an end to this shameful and treasonous conduct by our Government.
I agree with the sentiment but this won’t stop the bloodletting. The US uses off book money to influence countries we have sold weapons to to provide them to our little friends.
How about legislation which is very clear about US Allies doing the same! Israels so called helping injured Syrians turned out they were ALL Al Nusra Terrorists, the Saudis (and the US) providing anti tank Missile systems made in the USA to al Nusra as well, TOW anti tank missiles the ONLY difference is this time they learnt not to just give them out like the US did to Bin Ladin in Afghanistan no the launchers have to be returned to get new missiles! No stockpiling that way!
Most of us are aware that the CIA is a vile organization dealing
in murder, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and child sex-slavery.
Congress in the early 80s also passed legislation prohibiting the
CIA funding Contra (terrorists) attempting to take down the
Sandinista socialist government in Nicaragua.
Daddy Bush and the so-called ‘American Hero’ Ollie North, ‘persuaded’
a doddering fool, the Gipper, into secretly funding the Contra
(terrorists) with cash the CIA collected from dumping weapons and
crack cocaine into African-American communities. A brave human being,
Gary Webb, busted the scam, and was destroyed by the corrupt racist
corporate media. Webb was later a victim of Arkancide.
These bastards in the CIA will thumb their nose at Congress again,
and continue to support (terrorists) through third-party regimes
like Saudi Arabia.
Everything you said is known by some of the public . But very little ever came of it because the federal government refused to prosecute anyone above Freeway Rick the top illegal drug distributer . Even the democratic Arkansas administration under Bill Clinton let the big boys all go free .
Who are the CIAs? Who’s interest do they protect?
They need to add Saudi Arabia and Israel to the list.
Way over due but I suspect this will face serious pushback, and may never be passed.
God bless them for trying!
They need to stop dealing arms, weapons, etc.-period!!!! It is a despicable immoral activity that must be ended.
Great bill now you have eliminated U.S.funding for 2 Islamic terrorist groups . But there are more than a 100 and maybe a thousand Islamic terrorists organizations . And we love Islam , So how far do you think this good bill will take us at eliminating Muslim terrorists . We have helped Al Nusra , Boko Harm , KLA , Muslim Brotherhood , Taliban ,Hezabella , Hamas , PLO a endless list of Muslim terrorists that can be used and converted to freedom fighters with only a slight adjustment in our thinking .
Dont forget the biggest terrorist organization out there…Israel, the cause of all the madness wherever western interests are to be found. Congress is riddled with Israeli firsters and you amerikkkan people are so concerned with genociding people of color, spiritually, economically etc you don’t give a damn that these Israeli firsters fleece 3 to 4 billion (a very conservative figure) and rising a year from the US, These Israeli firsters many of them neocons have embroiled the US in wars for the state of Israel. No Muslim had ever come to the shores of the US to wage war until the Israeli firsters who infest the US body politic, the media, and where all the data collected on your so called freedom of speech digital communication are stored in Israel, the NWO headquarters of the capitalist beast, Its these poisonous demons that struck the first blow in the ME and they are not Muslims. You people go around the world murdering innocents and blaming your victims. Its getting fucking boring
The US has engaged in terrorism since long before Israel existed. And is much bigger.
anti war are moderating my speech. i dont know why cus what i have said is only history
Don’t forget Israel.
The reasons to vote for Gabbard in 2020 just keep piling up. If only she could drop her drone fetish, she’d be the best thing since McGovern.
The CIA is laughing their ass off. Do you really think they are going to go to Congress for the money to arm terrorists or pull off a coup now and then? How do you think arming the Contras was so easily done. They just pull a few million in profits from the cocaine or opium businesses and buy whatever they want. Until dealing in weapons or training insurgents is a capital offense and enforced by the DOJ/ICC any bill Congress passes to limit regime change efforts by the CIA will be toilet paper (and Congress knows it!)
Obama and his henchmen/women should also be brought up on war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially for their crimes against the people of Yemen.
there is already a law that is supposed to block this from happening, it’s 18 USC 2339 which makes it a felony to give any type of assistance to any known or suspected terrorist or any organization that would forward aid/donations to terrorists.
18 usc 2331 unequivocally defines the governments so called “moderate rebels” as terrorists.
The US government via spokespersons/elected officials/et al, have openly and repeatedly admitted to giving moderate rebels “who are terrorists according to the governments own definitions”
Through it’s own repeated public admissions, it’s own definitions and it’s own actions, the US government has proven that it is a rogue terrorist state that supports terrorists!
YOU NEED A LAW TO FORBID FUNDING A TERRORIST???
Has the world gone to hell or is this hell?
“YOU NEED A LAW TO FORBID FUNDING A TERRORIST???”
Well, in general, yes. If there’s not a law forbidding something, that thing is legal.
But presumably there are all kinds of laws already covering the matter. The real question is, given that none of those other laws were obeyed, why would we expect this one to be?
That’s our good ole United States.
Is there any bills that would stop funding Israel? I’m tired of my tax dollars going there and not used for my children and my neighbor’s children in the United States.